NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA
563 yayalar IRAN Çoruh Çoruh ARMENIA GEORGIA Mt Ararat Ani © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © and the ruins of Ani Posof ı Îshak Paša Palace Šeytan Kalesi a Saray ş Öškvank shak Pa İ Çoruh Gorge Palandöken Ski Resort ( p570 )
Ani shak shak İ t, the t, the ı Georgia ( p569 ) kvank cathedral Mt Ararat Mt Ararat ubayaz ş ğ Ö ski resort ski resort
( p585 ) or ( p586 ) in Do p586 ( Palandöken ( p572 ) a Palace ş eytan Kalesi ( p581 ), an ancient Armenian capital p581 ( Gorge at the and search for words atop highest mountain ), Turkey’s p589 ( Posof, sup a full-bodied wine in the next day ) and re-enter Turkey p585 ( Ş Pa child’s imagination castle of every at the ruins of Dose up on amazement your peers and rip up some powder Impress Wake to clear skies and astounding views, for the sight of the heavens Thank at border most isolated Cross Turkey’s churches and castles, such as past through ancient mysterious Turkey’s together eastern Piece junkies the run through yourself up and join the adrenaline on a white-water Psyche
HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS
For James Bond action-seekers, there are outdoor adventures galore to gorge on in a to gorge galore outdoor adventures are For James Bond action-seekers, there the most jaded history up enough surprises to enthral even musters region The And culture? Go on. Break the mould and delve a little deeper into Anatolia. and delve the mould Go on. Break (highland pastures) without another traveller in sight. Whatever your perspective, the warmth your perspective, sight. Whatever in without another traveller (highland pastures) a distinctly Caucasian And there’s region. the to discover incentive you’ll experience is another which adds to the appeal. of Armenia and Georgia, flavour, courtesy of the proximity Rafting enthusiasts swear that the frothing rapids of playgrounds. variety of mind-boggling heaven while snow bunnies will be in seventh the most thrilling in the world, the Çoruh are ski resort. If hiking to your liking,at Palandöken is more Mt Ararat, Turkey’s consider scaling the Kaçkarhighest summit, or tackling Mountains. It’s like a vast open-air museum, with a gobsmacking portfoliobuffs. of palaces, castles, mosques astonishing The around the steppe. and churches dotted are must-sees for anyone with an interest in Turkey’s ancient flourishing civilisations. There are are There ancient flourishing civilisations. in Turkey’s for anyone with an interest must-sees are churches near Yusufeli that await you, including a bonanza of Georgian also hidden treasures and Armenian monuments near Kars, or steppes. extraordinary all set against the gorges If you yearn to explore, push Turkey’s back door. Not only is the least-visited corner of the least-visited Not only is the back door. push Turkey’s explore, to If you yearn mine for wannabe adventurers. it’s also a gold Turks), for the world (even country a secretive or you the most accessible sights, itinerary, with highlights that cover You can plan a thorough villages or wandering in the in remote DIY approach, stumbling around can take a more Northeastern Anatolia NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA enthusiasts, whocomefrom allover Turkey in winter for skiing it’s alsoan excellentbase obviously thebest timetovisitErzurum,but ing aheavenly backdrop. over theurban sprawl,withthesteppe form- wherethe citadel, youcanget your bearings chitecture inthecountry.Thensweatitupto ar-which someof showcases thebestSeljuk themainartery,to CumhuriyetCaddesi, soldiers.couples andstalwart mixwithyoung drapes oratleastheadscarves men andwomenwearingvoluminousblack sorbing initscontrasts.Patriotic, conservative ernity. The‘peoplescape’of Erzurumisab- population bringsarefreshing touch of mod- a vibrantmetropolisandthesizeablestudent but into Erzurum israpidlymetamorphosing liberal thanitsMediterranean counterparts, much of theyearandcityfeels much less city.Sure, theclimate isoff-putting servative of acold,austere andoverwhelmingly con- Forget anypreconceived notionyouhave % 564 ERZURUM Çamlîhemšin Mt Kaçkar (KARADENÎZ) Šenyuva NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA (3937m) BLACK SEA Îspir D950 Ditch your bags on arrival and leg it straight Ditch yourbagsonarrivalandlegitstraight The short summer (June to September) is toSeptember) The shortsummer (June Ardešen 0442 /pop362,000elevation1853m Çat Ilîca Dörtkilise Fîndîklî NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIANORTHEASTERN ••Erzurum D010 Baÿbašî (Haho) Olgunlar Hopa (Altîparmak) (Uncular) Barhal Öškvank Sarpî Šenyurt Yaylalar ERZURUM Palandöken Ski Resort D950 Batumi Öÿdem Tekkale Yusufeli Dolišhane Pasinler Uzundere Tortum Artvin Borçka Tortum Lake Šelalesi Tortum Κhan of God the Mother Church of Yeni Rabat Porta Meydancîk Ardanuç D955 D955 Horasan Oltu D010 Šavšat Olur D060 Penek Tbeti
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33 565 NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA hr €0.60; a shortblock upthehillto the andwalk Turn left thenimmediately right untilyoucometoaT-junction.the UluCami Caddesi) Mosque; Cumhuriyet notice thesmallOttoman dome andapairof bull’s-eyewindows. end of thecentralaisleare acuriouswooden dome openstotheheavens. Atthesouthern the thirdeast–westaisleastriking stalactite from thenorthalongcentralaisle. Above resulting inaforest of columns.Youenter ning north–southandsixrunningeast–west, restrained aislesrun- butelegant,withseven by theSaltukTurkish Emirof Erzurum,is Çifte Minareli, builtin1179 theUlu Cami, Minareli. Unlike theelaborately decorated Caddesi) (Great Mosque;Cumhuriyet (Islamic theologicalseminary). Huand Hatun, thefounderof the astheHatuniye Türbesi,orTombofserved yard isthegrand,12-sided,domedhallthat western sides. Atthefarendof thecourt- and adoublecolonnadeontheeastern and the town. beforehistory even theOttomansclaimed cumbed tothevagariesof Erzurum’sviolent the minarets –theyare gone,having suc- small bluetiles.Don’tlookforthetopsof minarets are decorated witheye-catching of originalityandausterity. Thetwinbrick left themotifisunfinished. eagle;tothe bearspanel totheright theSeljuk size andpositionbutdifferent inmotif. The on eithersideof theentranceare identicalin whileaimingforsymmetry:thepanels even liked totryoutvariation the waySeljuks gols in1242.Thefaçadeisanexampleof bytheMon- suffered anddevastation attack citybefore it Erzurum wasawealthySeljuk of Erzurum.Itdates fromthe1200swhen Caddesi) huriyet Medrese Minareli Çifte ofEast thecentre of townisthemagnificent Sights &Activities office Tourist Cafe Internet Kar@@slan 566 lucky, acitymap. h Walk south between theÇifteWalk southbetween Minareli and you’llA short hopfromtheUluCami, isthe Equally attention-seeking The maincourtyardhasfourlarge niches The toweringlimestoneentranceisamix 8am-5pm Mon-Fri) Hassomebrochures and,ifyou’re8am-5pm Mon-Fri) NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIANORTHEASTERN ••Erzurum h 8am-midnight) , thesinglemostdefinitive image ( % 235 0925;CemalGürselCaddesi; (Twin Minaret Seminary; Cum- Seminary; Minaret (Twin , constructed in1645. (Erzincan Kap (Erzincan Caferiye Camii Caferiye , nexttotheÇifte ı Üç Kümbetler Caddesi;per medrese Ulu Cami (Caferiye (Caferiye
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we’ll behappytohearaboutit! If you’ve foundthesouvenir of yourdreams, Ankara (from€44, 90minutes). Ankara flight to Caddesi; Iranian frontier. from where youcan catch a minibus tothe boxed text, p674 ), take abustoDo Iran (ifyoualready the have see yourvisa; Esada Getting There&Away facture of andsale items madefrom asacentre forthemanu- nowserves Caddesi, han nificent’s grandvizier,thistwo-storey covered 1540and1550bySüleymantheMag-between jewellery andotheritems from Erzurum isknownforthemanufacture of Shopping rum’s intercity traffic. along theairportroad,handlesmost of Erzu- 2km fromthecentreThe otogar(busstation), BUS Airlines Turkish Onur Air Turizm Kuzkay sengers totheairport(€3). All airlinesprovide AIR Express. Twoweeklyflightsto Caddesi; .tr; Cumhuriyet (from €49,twohours). Caddesi; local blackamber. happy withlife. a(soft) Nurse Museum. drinkandyou’llfeel h Rse Pa Rüstem ş If you’re headingtoAnkaraor ı Sokak; mains€3-5; Sokak; (Ottomantavern), northof Cumhuriyet 8am-11pm) ş İ h stanbul (from €44, 1¾ hours) and a daily flight to stanbul (from€44,1¾hours)andadailyflightto h buses have buses thebest reputation. For ( % 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat) One daily 9am-2pmSat)Onedaily 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-6.30pm) Onedailyflightto 235 0280;www.onurair.com.tr; Cumhuriyet ş a Çar ( ( % , whichfeatures live musicon % ş 213 6717; www.thy.com; Cumhuriyet 213 6717;www.thy.com;Cumhuriyet 234 2447;www.sunexpress.com ı s h ı
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ş ı ı t . Caddesi. Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com rum’s otogarare listed below. inthetable Van €12 6hr Trabzon €10 325km 6½hr €20 Kayseri several 10hr 628km 410km €9 Kars 3hr İ several 205km about frequent 3 Do to thenorthandeastof Erzurum,including totowns the backstreets, handlesminibuses east of AdnanMenderes through Caddesi lonelyplanet.com one telecabin, and 28kmof skirunsonthree area inthecountry, with10skilifts, including rum, Palandöken isregarded asthe best ski Did youknow?Amere 5kmsouthof Erzu- % Palandöken SkiResort AROUND ERZURUM Caddesi; .com; Milletbahçe 5; 8088; www.avis.com.tr; Terminal Site1Blok Caddesi,Mavi costs about€4. and willtake youintotownfor€0.40;ataxi city costs€2to€4. tripwithinthe town, costsaround€17.Ataxi to/fromtheairport,about 15kmfrom A taxi Getting Around Kars, itdepartsat11.09am (€5;4½hours). Kayseri, dailyat1.30pm(€17;24hours); for rum Ekspresi for Kars, itdepartsat5.20pm(€5).The İ The TRAIN Diyarbak €23 Ankara 13hr 925km about Frequency Distance Duration Destination Fare FROMERZURUM’SOTOGARSERVICES 10 (per The Gölba at 7.30am,11.30am,2pm,4.30pmand6pm. (€10, fourhours, 215km),HopaandRizeleave day) (€9, three hours, toArtvin 129km);minibuses Yusufeli leave at9am,1.30pmand4pmdaily Artvin, Hopa,RizeandYusufeli. to Minibuses find unless (about youtake €3). ataxi stanbul €31 19hr 1275km 7 stanbul viaSivas,Kayseri andAnkara(€20); stanbul ğ h The Gölba fromErzu- ofDetails somedailyservices Minibus and city buses pass theotogarMinibus andcitybuses Car rental isavailable Car through ubayaz 0442 Do 8am-7pm) ı 1 8r 485km 8hr 5 r €14 ğ ı 9 ½r 8k 5 285km 4½hr t €9 u Ekspresi ş ı Semt Garaj Semt and leaves forAnkara,viaSivasand ş ı Semt Garaj Semt NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN ••AroundErzurum Decar leaves dailyatnoonfor h 8am-7pm) ( % ı can be difficult to canbedifficult ı , about1kmnorth- 234 6160;www.decar , off Çaykara , off Avis (
% Erzu- 233 €50/75; mix characteristics and of Armenian, Seljuk and thechurches,ery isspectacular, which scen- buildings. The mountain atthese marvel tobeanarchitectureyou don’tneed to buff be amplyrewarded. Thegood newsisthat thisregionit. Thetroubleyoutake will tosee numerous churches andcastlestoshowfor kingdomofthe medieval Georgia, andhas of nature andculture. Itwas oncepartof towards Artvinistheperfect combination country north ofThe mountainous Erzurum GEORGIAN VALLEYS (€8). youcantake ataxi Otherwise, season. central ErzurumtoPalandöken duringtheski In theory,there are fromsouthof minibuses THERE&AWAYGETTING whistles youcoulddream of. Ministry of Truth,butithasallthebellsand isreminiscentRenaissance of George Orwell’s shiny five stars, themassive, pyramid-shaped sance.com; s/d€84/109; the skiruns,at2450m. than theSkiLodge atthefootof butit’sright €84/109; polines? are themastram- sobouncyyoucoulduse mention thewell-sprungmattresses, which light-filled andwellorganised. Anddid we and acongenial atmosphere. It’sshiny-clean, what managed toretain alow-key charm Opened in2006,thisstylish abodehassome- .com; s/d€55/85; which andgym. includeasauna andamen style itmakes upforinservice ities, pect discountsof upto20%offseason). quoted here winter rates are (ex- high-season own restaurants, bars anddiscos.Theprices areto stay openallyear. Allhotels have their With theexceptionof theDedeman, theplaces SLEEPING €25 perday). ment isavailable atthehotels (about€20to equip- a placeintheski-liftqueues.Rental other snow-lovers foraspotontheslopesand December toApril,beprepared tojostlewith ate andtwoadvanced).Atweekends from beginnerruns,sixintermedi- (seven levels Polat Renaissance Dedeman Lodge Dedeman Ski Palan Otel pas s ) This second Dedemanisolder Thissecond
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569 NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA troubles in theearly20thcentury. but most converted toIslam orleftafter the of therest. Valleys and, later, imperial Russia took care decline, theOttomansannexed theGeorgian quasi-Byzantine rule. Thekingdomwentinto protection theGeorgians hadenjoyed under in1453and theendingofConstantinople the most savage blowbythe Ottomancapture of Tamerlane in 1386, thekingdomwasdealtits With thearrivalof theMongolconqueror ing theruleof Tamar Queen (1184–1213). Georgian culture, which reached itspeakdur- west provinces. Sobeganthe‘GoldenAge’ for reunifying Georgia withTbilisiandthesouth- took upwhere by IIIhadleftoff KingBagrat in1122,and 1089–1125) defeated theSeljuks real KingDavid stability. IV(‘TheBuilder’; Turksin1064dashedhopesofof theSeljuk Byzantines andGeorgians, butthearrival isting relatively the harmoniouslybetween 1001. undertheswayofbeen theByzantinessince gaging fromthesouthwestvalleysthathad andbygraduallydisen- Arabs, toKutaisi, Tbilisi, nominallyunderthecontrolof the formed kingdombymoving from thecapital IIIshifted1008. Bagrat thefocusof thenewly and unifiedGeorgia’s warringkingdomsin III wholooked outsidethesheltered valleys that producedthechurches today. yousee Byzantium allfostered aflourishing culture the rugged terrain, pietyandthesupportof gion. Amixture of about by isolationbrought rulingoverArmenian Bagratids the Kars re- lineage fromthesame asthe the Bagratids, kingdom inthe10thcentury,governed by so on.Itwaspartof Georgian themedieval recovered bytheByzantines,lostagainand conquered bytheArabsin7thcentury, this region fromthe4thcentury.Thenitwas The Persians andByzantinessquabbled over History will have autumnalcolouring. ber canalsobefinetimestovisit,asthetrees andearlyOcto- rains holdoff, late September should beinbloom–aspecialtreat. Ifthe June, theorchards of cherries andapricots visited. Ifyouhappentobepassinginmid- Persian styles,are eye-catching andseldom 570 However, it was the ambitious King Bagrat it wastheambitiousKingBagrat However, Today manylocals have Georgian heritage, wasrelativelyAlas, stability short-lived. The southwestprovinces coex- hadbeen NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIANORTHEASTERN Valleys ••Georgian restoration workhastaken place here. adds totheeleganceof thebuilding. ofThe use anddarkstones alternating light inhisclaws. ing astoneeaglegraspingdoe multicoloured tiles,orthefinereliefs, includ- Don’t miss theconical-toppeddome,withits to thevillage. The partly paved orchards roadthrough andfields MeryemanaCamii, Go7kmupthe Kilisesi’. Haho bytheGeorgians. It’ssignposted ‘Ta a humpbacked bridge, tothevillage called (west),over ontheright is anotherturn-off About 16km southof theturn-off toÖ Ba upatleast€100. cough you couldalsohire butbeprepared ataxi, to agroup.FromYusufeli,costly ifyouassemble best waytoget betoo aroundandneedn’t relativelyArtvin, although expensive, isthe for exploration.HiringacarinErzurumor allowlittleopportunity Yusufeli, these though Erzurumand runbetween afternoon. Buses Artvin earlyinthemorning,returning inthe Erzurumandminibus thatheadsbetween to andfrommostof themconsistsof asingle are toexplore, adelight butpublictransport villages valleys The smallmountain inthese Getting There&Away exterior walls.Look forthefinerelief of the majestic dome (ithasfallenin) andonthe massive thatsupported capitals theequally bothontheare otherfinerelief carvings, typical of Georgian church decoration. There withelaborate geometriccapitals, designs, onthe shape –noticetheintricate carvings triple-arched narthex,isstillinrelatively good on eitherside. Thesouthwestaisle,like the the archangels. attheblind arcadesandthereliefsMarvel of byadome. toppedoff orBarhal) Dörtkilise aisled basilica(asintheearlierchurches of gian cathedralsinthisregion withathree- 10th century.It’sthegrandestof theGeor- miss theimpressive up thevalleytovillage, where youcan’t Keepthe highway. onthemainroadwinding the turn-offto Ö Continuing northonHwy950,you’llreach Ö late 10thcenturyandisingoodcondition. 800m furtheruptheroad.Itdates fromthe ş kvank &Around The church asamosque,sosome isused The centralnave aisles hastwowalled-off ğ ba ş ı (Haho) ş monastery complex monastery kvank, which is7kmoff cathedral , builtinthelate lonelyplanet.com isabout ş kvank ş
nothing flash, but the setting isawesome. nothing flash,butthesetting into well-prepared fishdishes.Thedécoris porched portal. ontheinsideof themain in thehalf-dome fragmentsof frescoes; look still well-preserved (northeast)ofright themainentrance. menandMarythree wise tothe andJoseph, lonelyplanet.com 400m further on you’ll see a second crumbling asecond 400m further onyou’llsee gorges alternate withreddish About bluffs. ing withthesurreal landscape, where craggy castle tion, after thevillage of a Kalidibi you’llsee Continuing along theD060inKars direc- Bana &Penek colonnades. elegantly carved drum alsosportssomefineblindarcades and elaborate fretwork aroundthewindows.The bricked-up of portal the main buildingandan worth admiringare theinscriptionsabove the founding of thechurch III.Also toKingBagrat of thesmallchapel nextdoor–ascribesthe of themanyfinereliefs –above theportal mosque wasbuiltin1984.Themostdetailed functioned asamosqueuntilthereplacement wall wasbuiltinthenave –halfof thischurch (see opposite ). Unfortunately, ahuge dividing The fourpillars are impressive, asinÖ allwithdifferentarches in the apse, capitals. and asuperbarcadeof horseshoe-shaped years agowholewallswere covered inthem), in thenear-conical dome(vanishingfast–25 in the11th.There are tracesof bluefrescoes €1.50) wonderful mountainside. outof6km upasteep, paved the roadcarved village situated,mountain isspectacularly marked byasignreading ‘ Go 7kmtotheroadonleftfor markedroad ontheright forOlurandKars. theD060,take theWhen Hwy950meets İş the mainroad. 35km fromYusufeli andsignposted 700moff sive ( ing peckish? Stopatthe by alandslideabout three centuriesago. Feel- Gölü Tortum % han A littlefurtheruptheroadare theimpres- Much of theroof hasfallenin,butthere are Located pastthemodernwhite mosque,the Highway 950skirtsthewestern shoreHighway of 792 2471;fishdishes€4) Tortum Tortum was builtinthe8thcenturyandenlarged on amound. inkeep- sight, It’s aneerie (Lake Tortum),which (Lake wasformed Church oftheMotherGod Ş elalesi NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN ••Yusufeli (TortumWaterfalls), about , where you cantuck İ skele Alabal skele İş han Kilisesi’. The han Kilisesi’. ı
(admission k Tesisleri İş ş kvank han, could get trappediftheroadismuddy. rotunda shape. inwetweatheryou Beware: Its mostdistinctive architectural feature isits backdrop–anunforgettablefantastic vision. forminga on amoundwiththemountains has to offer: Halithas tooffer: Pa A short stroll reveals Yusufeli everything Orientation &Information totake youtothem. taxi but ifyouhave cashtospare youcanhire a villages, tothese are limited minibusservices areDörtkilise definitely worththetrip.There culture vultures. Thechurches and atBarhal activities: Yusufeli for isalso agoodbase rafting andtrekking groups. forwhite-waterand thetownisapopularbase Yusufeli onitswaytothenearbyÇoruhRiver, Çay The swiftBarhal lot todohere ifyou’re anadrenaline junkie. enjoy Yusufeli whileyoucan.Andthere’s a be submerged. thishappensyou should Before haveofficials thatnochurch guaranteed will relocated Turkish inthemountains. higher will vanishunderwater, andpeoplewillbe in theforthcomingyears. Thewholevalley nearby damare scheduled tobecarriedout Yusufeli’s thefoundationsof fate a issealed: % YUSUFEL the 16thcentury. andthenbytheOttomansin by theSeljuks and Byzantineperiods,before beingoccupied was of duringtheRoman someimportance coloniesand byGenoese was probably used Thecastle builtbyUrartusin1000BC. been tohaveabout itshistory,butitissupposed restoredpainstakingly in2002.Littleisknown huddled beneathastartling Along theD955,peacefultownof Oltu is Oltu nian about 700mfurtheron.TheawesomeArme- thevillageContinue through andturnleft uphillfor2kmtothevillage ofgoes the bridge, take thesidetrackonleft.It Penek Çay Kars willleadyoupastabridge crossingthe ing afurther14.5kmontheD060towards overlooking ariver linedwithpoplars. castle From the junction with Highway 955,driv- From thejunctionwithHighway But it’snotallabout nature andoutdoor 0466 /pop6400elevation560m ontheleft,builtarockyoutcropand church ofBana İ ı
(it’ssignposted). About 100mpast comes into view, standing comesintoview,standing ı rushes noisily through rushes noisilythrough ş a Caddesi and a Caddesi kalesi ( citadel), İ Penek nönü 571
. NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA the otogar,wasopenedin2006.Inprinciple, a base. a base. Pension Cemil’s company used in Tekkale as .com) ture Travellers have recommended including food andcamping. for oneweek, Yusufeli Gorge. ataround€1000 Pricesstart camping andfourdays’raftingculminating at companies runlonger tripswiththree nights’ ( who comesrecommended is OneEnglish-speaking guide piece Camping. oratGreen- OtelHotel Barcelona Barhal, four people)for3½hours of rafting;askat Yusufeli forabout €25perperson (minimum is insufficient. June; bytheendof Julythevolumeof water isbestinMayexperience. andearly Rafting It wouldbeinteresting tohearaboutyour tolian village gorges. life craggy andthetall also enjoyataste of traditionaleastern-Ana- rafting river. Bobbing downtheriver youcan other frothingchallenges inthisclass4to5 but mostof usare bythe exhilarated enough sufeli Gorge’s very own‘ King Kong’rapids, rafting rivers. Die-hardfanslove Yu- tackling The ÇoruhRiver isoneof theworld’sbest WHITE-WATER RAFTING Activities has internet facilities. 11pm) Café Yakamoz byEnglish-speaking students.The it’s staffed office few smallhotels andrestaurants. A the school intheeastern partof town;andthe the bankswithATMs; behind thepostoffice joiningtoformthemainstreet;Caddesi, 572 % Various localoperators runday tripsoutof on thosewhoare againstthedam.’ be relocated inthisarea, butwestilldon’tknowwhere. The put pressure bureaucrats inAnkara to move becausetheyknowhave nofuture here. The government assures usthatwewill roads tothechurcheswillbeflooded.Youngpeopleinvalleyfeel desperate andare forced is completed, routes. lesstrekking there willnolongerbeanyraftingtrips,andcertainly The any tourismdevelopment isnowblighted. are Activities doomedtodisappear. Whenthedam our ancestors,theyare buriedhere, andallwillvanishunderwater. That’s notacceptable. And our houses,butwewilllosealsopast,memories,traditions. This isthelandof oftheÇoruhvalleyinafew years:‘Notonly will weloseourlandanddam thatwillfloodpart Fatih WHAT DOESTHEFUTUREHOLDFORYOUNGYUSUFELIANS?
0505 5412522;[email protected]) , based intheUK.When wevisited, this , based , inthesmallalleyopposite Hotel Barhal, (
NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIANORTHEASTERN ••Yusufeli % ( % Alternatif Outdoor Alternatif Ş in theUK ahin is a well-known trekking guideinYusufeli isawell-knowntrekking ahin ofa andanopponentoftheconstruction 811 4008;
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0148-872 293;www.waterbynature İ nönü Caddesi; ş a Caddesi;perhr€0.60;
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Mountains; see see Mountains; p558 . BothspeakgoodEng- treksyou oncustomised upintothe Kaçkar 0532 5058975;www.way2kacgar.com) going to win abeautycontest but are fresh accommodation budget. The roomsare not port of call ifyoudon’twanttodeplete your sion bridge, the Barhal isthemostobvious out of Marmaris. in acloudof dustbefore youreyes. avoided –theylooklike collapse theymight opment. The cheapies in thecentre are best the damproject hasblighted tourismdevel- good accommodation,andit’snowonder– Unfortunately, have Yusufeli doesn’t alotof Sleeping Olgunlar ( p574 ) alsoarrange treks. lish. Pension ( owners inBarhal opposite ) and ( From Yusufeli, guides TREKKING Caddesi; s/d€9/18) 700m fromthebridge. and followthesignstofindthisplace about footbridge &Restaurant, besideHotel Barhal be organised. Crossthebouncing suspension tripscan Rafting €5) and,yes,it’slicensed. restaurant bythe riverside (dinnerisabout rooms withbathrooms.There’s apleasant more comfort,upgradetooneof the three can pitch yourtent inthegrassy grounds; for oryou lution blockwouldn’tharm,though), of anorchard candothetrick(onemore ab- the ultra-basic hidingintheleaves tree houses types of accommodation.Forshoestringers, andhasvarious boasts anexcellentsetting €3, tree houseperperson€6-9,s/d€9/14; .alternatifraft.com) % Hotel Barhal &Restaurant Barhal Hotel Camping Greenpiece 811 2150,0532-6229489;www.bukla.com) Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com isaTurkishgroupoperating Ideallylocated bythesuspen- (
% Özkan Özkan 811 3620;campingperperson (
% Ş lonelyplanet.com and 811 3151;EnverPa ahin i Greenpiece (
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from theoven, withplentyof pizzazz. fresh for Turkish andArabicpizzas,served name. Thisisarguably thebestplace in town you want to branch out from the standard you wanttobranch outfromthestandard Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com ards atpaupers’ prices. plates upface-filling kebaps and other stand- the water you’dhave toswimdinner. The looks theriver –iftheterrace wasanynearer updecentdishes andover-restaurant serves some roomsoverlook theriver. Theon-site and luminous,bathroomsare functional; lonelyplanet.com €2-4) terrace bytheriver isanaddedbonus. kebaps, the €2-3; Ersis Caddesi;mains€2-3; earlier). restaurants (see adventure, darlings.Checkoutalsothehotel member whatyou’re nature here and for: Gourmet foodinYusufeli? Dream on!Re- Eating rafting trips. including 4WDtours, aswellhikingand Various tripscanbeorganised inthearea, is thatyoucantake adipin thebigpool. ity restaurant. Theicingonthecake here pleasing colourfultonesandanattachedqual- rooms withscrupulouslycleanbathrooms, ities (includingfree wi-fi andapool),roomy Spanish management, flauntsexcellentamen- upmarket resort-style abode,underTurkish- incongruous inthisbackpacker territory, this s/d€55/70; Mahallesi; .com; Arikli recommended. and trekking tripscanbeorganised. Warmly river provides asoothingsoundtrack.Rafting onabreezy terrace, andthegushing are served colourful linenandprivate bathrooms.Meals well-sprungmattresses, pine cladding,TV, Rooms are sparklinglycleanandcosy,with ily accessiblebyminibusfromYusufeli (€3). from Yusufeli it’seas- ontheroadtoBarhal, River.the Barhal it’sabout 12km Although by ish pension,judiciouslypositionedright from acharming familyawaitsatthisnew- .com.tr; s/dwithhalfboard€25/40) extra. including trekking andrafting.Breakfast is owners canorganise varioustripsinthearea, Hac Salonu Lahmacun Çoruh Pideve Barcelona Otel Arzet Lokantasi Arzet River Hotel Ifyourstomach isinknots, thiseatery h ı o ğ 8am-10pm) lu Ca alabal ğ
( Döner %
NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN ••AroundYusufeli ( Close tothetouristoffice. If Close %
( 824 4345;Bostanc % ı k (
811 2627;www.hotelbarcelonanet h % (trout) deserves atry.The (trout)deserves 811 2181; 10am-8pm) 811 3009; Afriendlywelcome pais
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pass ontheroadintotown.It’scongenial, .com; halfboard perperson€20) .com; halfboardperperson€16) four-day treks across the tomountains from theterrace. well tended. Enjoythescenery andthehush and the12rooms (with shared bathroom)are in Yusufeli. sions here are farmore invitingthanthose to leave, especiallysince thehandfulof pen- Once youarrive you won’twant inBarhal SLEEPING Çaml Karahan’s pension. overstarts aplankfootbridge nearMehmet capped peaksbeyond.The(unsigned)walk views over thetownandjagged, snow- pantforthebird’s-eye it’s worththehalf-hour chapel church Alt cultural sustenance. called (officially Barhal fill of thewonderfulscenery,you’llwantsome initial euphoriasubsidesandyou’ve hadyour land withoutthecrowds,thatis. Once this you’ve landedinSwitzerland.Well,Switzer- Yusufeli, youcouldbeforgiven forthinking It’s bucolictoboot.About 28kmnorthwestof itsheartandalovelythrough mountainscape. verdant valley,aripplingstream running Heaven! Picture this:avillage nestledina % Barhal (Alt AROUND YUSUFEL from there, atabout1pm(€8). the Artvin–Erzurumroadandcatch thebus along outtothepetrolstation to take ataxi toArtvin(€7).ForKars,minibuses you’llhave toTrabzon (€13)andseveral a 9amservice the morningforErzurum(€9,three hours), From Yusufeli there are in atleasttwobuses Getting There&Away watch theworldgoby. in towntorelax over acuppaintheshadeand the mainsquare, it’sthemostagreeable place guide (flatfee). Othercostsare negotiable. two trekkers. Addanother€40perdayfora gage. costing€30,canporter Onehorse, for Pension owners alsoarrange two-to Marsis Village House Village Marsis Pansiyon Barhal ı 0466 /pop1000elevation1300m Aile ÇayBahçesi parmak) preserves a10th-century parmak) preserves ı inameadowedridge above thetown– . Take thewalkuptosmallruined hem ş in withhorses tocarryyourbag- ι parmak)
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( 826 2031;www.barhalpansiyon İ %
Thefirst placeyou’ll Afew steps further 826 2002;www.marsisotel h dawn-dusk) Georgian Georgian
573 On NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA with some exaggeration, bungalows (upto the four adjoining cabins, which are called, moreyou seek privacy andcomfort,inoneof shared bathroomsinthefirst building or,if bunk downeither intheplainroomswith with avarietyof options.Youcan sleeping half boardperpersoninold/newroom€15/23,bungalow €55) Çamyuva Pension nobody speaksasinglewordof English. hint: don’tforget yourTurkish as phrasebook land pastures) andyou’llbehappywithlife. A food, explore thesurrounding you. Recharge thebatteries, feast onorganic not tomentionthesuperbhikes thatawait purest air we’ve breathed ever inTurkey – andthe bling brooks,traditionalfarmhouses jagged peaks,bab- with aglorioussetting, ideal retreat to rejuvenate mindandbody, have us,thisisan seclusion aprice. Believe 22km further butpeaceand fromBarhal, It’s adarntiringridetoget to % Yaylalar (Hevek)&Olgunlar advice before off. setting local toseek in anordinarycar,butit’swise dry, thewinding,narrowroadcanbebraved note thatonlythefirst 18kmare Ifit’s sealed. 4pm or5pm.Ifyouhave yourownvehicle, Yusufeli (€4,twohours), usuallyat2pmand A coupleof make minibuses therunfrom THERE&AWAYGETTING agree. time. Here, ‘ artery-clogging cream withbread atbreakfast definite plus:feast onfresh village honeyand matters more even agreeable, foodhere isa bathroom andaviewover thevalley.Tomake refurbished. Angleforaroomwithprivate ence andneatroomsthathave recently been spades. Noglitzorpomp,justfriendlyambi- on ahillbesidethechurch in haseverything Mehmet Karahan, thisidiosyncraticpension .com inTurkish; halfboardperperson€17) some dinners comeinforwarmpraise. and river viewsthrowninforfree. Thewhole- and cosy,withpinecladding,parquetflooring rooms 301,106and107,pokyyetintimate with private bathrooms.Weplumpedfor Three roomscome terrace andamiable staff. with16comfyrooms,anagreeabledoll house, up, justbackfromtheriver. Itfeels like acosy 574 Karahan Pension Karahan Yaylalar boastsanexcellentplacetostay, 0466 /pop500 NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIANORTHEASTERN ••Around Yusufeli Hayat çokgüzel
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av In the same buildingas In thesame ( % ş ı at k. (2540m), leavingthe , onthemainroad, 212 1134; yaylalar lonelyplanet.com İ nönü Caddesi; (summer , will costyouabout€3. valilik (€0.50) alsoshuttle the passengers between runs a (€4, onehour,30km)andto lonelyplanet.com Kars, which theylaidout onaspacious grid The Russians obviously hadgreat plans for Orientation their nametothe town. andgave inthe2ndcenturyBC the Caucasus the Karsaks, aTurkictribethatcamefrom streets date backtotheRussianoccupation. the sturdierstonebuildingsalong the main as aRussian Orthodox church, andmanyof the town’slarge mosqueswas obviously built when therepublican forcesretook it.Oneof 1920 andtheTurkishWarof Independence agarrison,andheldituntil in 1878,installed the 19thcentury.TheRussianscaptured Kars tussle playedoutbyTurkey andRussia during and later a pawnintheimperialland-grabbing kingdom(beforethe ArmenianBagratid Ani) of capital was onceanArmenianstronghold, fortress, medieval Dominated Kars byastark History thrive. days,businesswithnearbyGyumriwill these reopens, which is bound tohappenoneof WhentheborderwithArmenia spirits high. peynir to enjoythedeliciouslocal usually tovisitAni( p581 ), butdon’tforget Turkish andRussian–addstotheappeal. mix of influences–Azeri,Turkmen, Kurdish, the lookof aLittleRussia inTurkey. Andthe buildings lookalmostchirpy, givingthetown pastel-colouredsun shines,thestately, stone bit nibbledaroundtheedges, butwhenthe personality andatmosphere. it’sa Allright, the surfaceandrealise that Kars on ishigh others‘lethargic’, ‘sad’); scratch ‘stark’, below spective. Sometravellers loatheit(‘muddy’, negative orpositive, dependingonyourper- (Snow). Orhan Pamuk’s prize-winningnovel This isthecitythatprovided for thesetting % KARS hours, 60km). Artvin Ekspres Artvin The mainreason forcomingtoKars is The localsare tobedescended from said 0474 /pop76,000elevation1768m andtheotogar. Alternatively, up ataxi (cheese); these will certainly keep your willcertainly these (cheese); servis Kars alwayselicitsstrongreactions – totheotogar. ‘Köprü’minibuses (
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NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA h Bistro Kars, openedin2005,tocapture the unsightly concreteunsightly building,atamajor inter- €3-5; €3-8; pastries andpuddingsfromwhich tochoose, choices, theOcakba treats, outthe bestenjoyed atthesmalltables colourful pastryshophas awiderange of h meal off. thisistheidealspotfor cappinga setting, plus amellowatmosphere andahistoric is asure winner. but onahotsummer’sdaythebreezy terrace enchanting mixof eleganceandrusticcharm, (hallelujah!).Thediningroomisan a beer and washitalldownwithaglassof wineor dig intowell-executed meatandfish dishes pronounce –allirresistibly fresh. Youcanalso andothergoodiesthataresalads toohardto through and visitors alike. Thelistof mezegallops hearts andtummiesof locals well-heeled in hand–it’snotlicensed. 500m westof thecentre. Forget thecoldbeer (fish) inthiswell-positionedeatery, about warm yourself withakebap, apideor ontheterracethe nearbypark,nabatable and Park register ringing. and otherfeel-good foodthatkeep thecash kebaps,its appeal.It’susuallythetasty pide of thisrelative newcomerare onlypartof €3-5; most palates, butresults canbepatchy. The menucovers territory toplease enough furniture, earthytonesandlarge windows. more elegant,withparquetfloors, darkwood mind,theinterior Never ismuchsection. yogurt andmeat). for itsexcellent time of theday.Itcontinuestowinplaudits the Ocakba rooms, includingamocktroglodyticonein mains €2-4; luscious Seyido also chow downoninexpensive snacks.Ah, 580 Kayaba Sofras Antep Ocakba Eylül Pastanesi Sema TatlSema Bistro Kars Fas 8am-10pm) ı 7am-10pm) ; mains€3-5; h h h NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIANORTHEASTERN ••Kars ı l Ocakba noon-10pm) 10am-11pm) 11am-11pm) patl ş ş ı ı h Restoran Cafe Restorant Cafe ı Ifyou’ve gotthemunchies, this ş Pastanesi With aremarkable rackof cakes,
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a €7 h 30m 1inthe 370km 6hr €17 or 2direct, 525km Van 9-10hr €20 Trabzon Posof €7 2hr 142km a few a minibustoPosof. Should theborderwith to Do there istotake aminibustoI Theusualwaytoget are nodirect services. heading forDo lonelyplanet.com plateau overlooking theTurkish–Armenian now little more than ruinsdottinga windswept and unforgettable. ambiencethatisunique site exudesaneerie scenery,the amidspectacular tecture Set buff. ifyou’re even absolute notanarchi- must-see, The ruinsof Ani, 45kmeastof Kars, are an Ani EAST OFKARS short hoptoErzurum(€5,about fourhours). trainsfortherelativelyworth consideringthese via ErzurumandKayseri, at9amdaily.It’s The Erzurum, Kayseri andAnkara,at7.10amdaily. The TRAIN Gaz car-rentalYou’ll findseveral companieson CAR I 3hr 205km €9 Erzurum frequent €14 Artvin 6hr 270km 80km 1hr frequent €5 Ardahan 2 €20 Ankara 16hr 1100km Frequency a Distance Duration Destination Fare FROMKARS’ OTOGARSERVICES few (per you’ll have tohitch aridetoYusufeli. along theArtvin–Erzurumroad,fromwhere the nearest junction(about10kmtoYusufeli) day) take abustoArtvinandaskbedroppedat togetneed aminibustoAkyaka. ForYusufeli, reopenArmenia eventually totravellers, you’ll ğ d morning Artvin Erzurum change minibuses or at minibuses minibuses ı Once the stately Armenian capital, Aniis Once thestately Armenian capital, ofFor details transport toAni,see p585 . r €6 3hr 132km several ı Do Erzurum Ekspresi Ahmet Muhtar Pa AhmetMuhtar ğ ubayaz ğ u Ekspresi ı t. For Georgia (see t. ForGeorgia (see p675 ), take ğ NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN ••EastofKars ubayaz leaves for (€17)leaves forAnkara, ı ş t bewarnedthatthere a Caddesi. İ ğ stanbul (€20), via (€20),via stanbul d ı r, thenanother Kap 5pm) Enter theruinsof THE RUINS ties atthesite. or four. 2½ hours atthesite, andpreferably three Allowatleast some partsare stilloff-limits. Not allthesite isopentovisitors, though: and youcanbuyyourticket atAniitself. You nolonger permissiontovisitAni, need INFORMATION since.away ever great buildings have slowlycrumbling been died. Theearthquake-damaged hulks of its revenues ithadmanaged to retain andthecity last blow:traderoutes shifted, Anilostwhat tions of Tamerlane soonafterwards were the of 1319toppledmuch of Ani.Thedepreda- they cared littlewhenthegreat earthquake forcitylife,nomadic Mongolshadnouse so in 1239andcleared out.The else everybody the citywentonuntilMongolsarrived a time,localKurdish emirs. for Thestruggle Persia, thentheKingdomof Georgia and,for from then in1064cametheGreat Seljuks Armenian state. and Byzantineencroachment weakened the prosperity, butafter Gagik,internecine feuds 990–1020) presided over Ani’scontinued cessors SmbatII(r977–89)andGagikI when hemoved here fromKars. Hissuc- 952–77) asthesite of in961, hisnewcapital kingAshot by theBagratid selected III(r byitsnaturaldefences, Aniwas well served east–westtraderoute and On animportant HISTORY permitted. is nolonger required, andphotographyis much more relaxed thantheywere –apermit control,butthingsareis stillundermilitary wonderment andmelancholy atAni’sfate. abandonment andleaves youwithamixof There’s amystiquehere thattranscendsits about theirbusinessinthisSilkRoadentrepôt. travellers, merchants andnobles bustling ceremony of theArmenianliturgy; andthe before: thethrivingkingdom;solemn border. Comehere toponderwhatwent Given theproximity of theborder,area At thetimeof writingthere were nofacili- The Byzantinestookover thecityin1045, through thesturdy through ı s ı ), a gate supposedly named after), agate Alp supposedly Ani (admission €3; Arslan Kap ı s ı h (orAslan 8.30am-
581 NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN
NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA 1957. This church dates from1034–36and in half having destroyed bylightning been of theruined structure remains, theother vision–onlyhalf into view.It’sastartling The Church of sooncomes theRedeemer Church oftheRedeemer churches order. inclockwise inpower and glory. Constantinople once hometonearly100,000people, rivalling citythatwas lating grass,landmarksinaghost great of undu- stone buildingsadriftonasea aslan in 1064,butprobably alsosuggested bythe whoconquered sultan Ani Arslan, theSeljuk 582
Arpa Çayi
4 1 3 2 Rock-cut ANÎ Alaca River Alaca Village Follow thepathtoleftandtour the Your first viewof Aniisstunning: wrecks of NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIANORTHEASTERN ••East ofKars (lion)inrelief ontheinnerwall.
(Ahuryan River) 15 9 11 A 10 Limits 4 Off 3 Ruins of shops epe...... A1 Temple)...... Zoroastrian Temple(Fire A1 Ticket Office...... (see1) B2 Seljuk Palace...... A2 Ruined Bridge...... A1 Menüçer Camii...... Apostles)...... A1 Kervansaray (ChurchoftheHoly A3 Kaya Kilise(Rock-cutChurch)..... A2 Kîz KalesiChurch...... A1 Îç Kale(Citadel)...... Georgian Church...... B2 B1 Convent oftheVirgins(Kusanatz).. B2 Church oftheRedeemer...... Honentz)...... A1 Church ofStGregory(Tigran A1 Church ofStGregory(Gagik1).... (Abughamrentz)...... B2 Church ofStGregory B1 Cathedral (FethiyeCamii)...... Arslan Kapîsî...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES Aslan Kapîsî) 12 16 (Arslan or Lion Gate 8 13 1 0.2miles 300m 0 0 14 2 To OcaklîKöyü(100m); (Oil Press) Bezirhane Seljuk Baths ARMENIA Kars (45km) B 6 Limits 7 Off 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 5 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Return totheplateau andfollowthepaths Convent oftheVirgins (Kusanatz) geometric designs. relief work,withfloral,avian andsinuous church history.Italsofeatures well-preserved picting scenesfromtheBibleandArmenian well asthecolourfulandlively frescoes de- ontheexterior walls,as inscription carved buildings here. LookforthelongArmenian is stillinbetter conditionthanmostother have donegreat damage totheinterior, it exposure1215, andalthough andvandalism a piousnobleman named Tigran Honentzin the apostletoArmenians,itwasbuiltby –Church withPictures).Kilise Namedafter Gregory theIlluminator(inTurkish, Resimli Arpa Çay Anifromthegorgethe wallsseparating of the theChurch of downby theRedeemer, Beyond Church ofStGregory (Tigran Honentz) windows thechurch couldwithstand. above isoneof portal thefew theornamental built inthisera. Theroundportholewindow Armenianchurchesplanned, multi-apsed relay thehistory. tinople; Armenianinscriptionsonthefaçade herethe TrueCrossbrought fromConstan- aportionof builttohouse was supposedly tians took itbackagain.Unfortunately, the but reverted toa church whenthe Chris- Muslimsheld Ani, into amosquewhenever ligious edificeinthe city,itwastransformed the kingandpeople. As thegrandestre- entrancesforthepatriarch, asseparate served Orthodox Patriarchate; thethree doorways finished underGagikIin1010. edral wasbegunbyKingSmbatIIin 987and most impressive of thebuildings.Anicath- conquerors, isthelargestby theSeljuk and named theFethiye (VictoryMosque) Camii Up ontheplateau again,thecathedral,re- Cathedral area thatisdefinitely off-limits. a of limits; check attheticket booth.Scantruins of thegorge. beoff- Thismonument might sive wall,dramaticallyperched ontheedge chapelserrated-domed byadefen- enclosed Convent of theVirgins, withitsdistinctive, down intotheArpaÇay Ani was once the seat of theArmenian Ani wasoncetheseat The architecture istypicalof thecircular- bridge ı acrosstheriver lietothewestinan andeasytomiss,istheChurch of St ı gorge tovisitthe lonelyplanet.com other structures tocollapse. it’sinabadstate An Unfortunately, ofpreservation. in1936causedthedomeand earthquake mental 10th-centurychurchrisesupfromthesteppe anddominates thesurroundinghouses. above andsomehandsomecarvings. theportal a conicalroof,V-shaped nichesontheexterior and slenderwindows,aninscriptioninArmenian flat, treeless grassland.It’sthebest-preserved structure inthearea. Outstandingfeatures include vision, withthebuildingrisinguponasmallmound,soletoweringelementinanotherwise another 3.7kmto Ya 3kmbringsyoutoBayraktar. afurther Ayakgedik; FromBayraktar, it’s you’ll skirt the junction, come outofthevillage,asphaltroadendsandbecomesagravel road.About1.6kmfrom to thevillage;bearleftontogravel roadfor3kmandyou’llarrive in O the gravel roadsmaybeimpassablewithout4WD. be seriouslynasty;it’sbesttoaccompaniedbylocalswhenarrivinginavillage. Ifit’swet, Awordofwarning:villagesheepdogscan at thetimeofwriting,butit’swisetodouble-check. control, touristswon’tbehassled. hire ataxifortheday(itshouldn’tcostmore than€80).Althoughthearea isstillundermilitary water. There’s tothesesites, soyou’llhave nopublictransport torely onyourownwheelsor of thepleasure liesingettingtothem.There are notouristfacilities,sostockuponfoodand investigating.vicinity thatare alsoworth These sites usuallyboastawesomesettings,andpart Ani maybethehighlight,butthere are otherimpressive Armenianchurchesandcastlesinthe HIDDEN GEMS–ARMENIANCHURCHES AROUNDAN you caneasilysee a rowofthree semicircular bastions. allowed towalkdown intothevalleyandapproachthis superbfortress. Even fromadistance, atthetimeofwritingyou wereand wascaptured in1579.Unfortunately, not by theOttomans atop arockspurand overlooking abend intheriver. It’ssaidtodate fromtheearly11thcentury rewarded by anachinglybeautifulviewover standing fortress thispearlofanArmeno-Byzantine to letyouwalkasfarthisvantagepoint (it’swisetobeaccompaniedbyalocal)andyou’ll can seeaTurkish flagflyingabout1kmtothesouthona mound.Trytopersuadethe village. Continue throughthevillageandstopat 3kmuntilanotherright-angle intersection. Bearleftfor1.3kmand you’llreacha further Üçölük From BagnairMonastery, return 1.5kmdownhill.Turn tothejunction, right(south)andcarryon FortressMagazbert arcades. Bothare usedascattlepens. adornedwithblindnegotiated onfoot,isstillingoodshape,withanice,12-sideddome-drum in the11thcentury,isbadlydamaged,whereas theminorone,200macrossa smallravineeasily you canadmire twoArmenianmonuments. The larger church,thoughttohave beenconstructed second intersection. Bearrightandafter 1.5kmyou’llenter theKurdishvillageof Kozluca, where forabout1.8kmandyou’llarriveuntil youreach ata continue straightahead afirstjunction; view. About200mbefore thegravel signpost,take theEsenkent roadontheright.Drive 4.5km withAni,drive comesinto westuntilthevillageofEsenkent Kars Back onthemainroadlinking Bagnair Monastery From O K forBa marked theasphalted take road theroadtoAni.InSubatan,about27kmfromKars, take From Kars, O ı ğ z The fourmonumentsdescribedbeloware relatively easilyaccessible. Nopermitwasnecessary uzlu Church ı l Kilise (Karmir Vank)l Kilise(Karmir ğ uzlu, drive inBa backtothejunction NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIANORTHEASTERN –ArmenianChurchesAroundAni Gems ••Hidden ş gedikler, 11km to the northeast. There’sgedikler, 11kmtothenortheast. aright-angle intersection attheentrance ğ kesen wherekesen thechurchstands,visiblefromsomedistance. It’saneerie ş gedikler. Turn leftandcrossthevillage. As you jandarma İ
(police)barracks. Fromhere you ğ uzlu. The monu- jandarma
583
NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA set ofset blindarcades. the windows of thedrum, framedbyadouble Thenlook uptosee by scallop-shellcarvings. of niches aseries topped deep terior you’llsee Church of theRedeemer. On the12-sidedex- Pahlavuni architect familybythesame asthe from thelate 900s.Itwasbuiltforthewealthy shaped church toppedbyaconicalroof dates On thewestern sideof thecity,thisrotunda- Church ofStGregory (Abughamrentz) sites areboth these outof bounds. You’llhaveCastle). – tolookfromadistance the smallchurch calledthe pinnacle of rockinabendof theArpaÇay half aruinedchurch. Beyond Keep), which holdswithin its extensive ruins themonumental mosque, rises Across therollinggrass,southwestof the İ and thecathedralfrommaingallery. the viewover thecanyon,ruinedbridge no parapetatthetop.It’smuch safer toenjoy andnarrow,there’s issteep spiral staircase have aSeljuk been ceilings. Thestructure nexttothemosquemay for thepolychrome stoneinlaysthatadornthe stonework isadistinctive feature. Lookalso stonemasons. Thealternating red-and-black employing Armenianarchitects, engineers and designprobably resultedSeljuk fromtheSeljuks odd butinteresting blendof Armenianand others have but several fallenintoruin.This each of style, themdifferent, aswastheSeljuk Turks inAnatolia(1072).Sixvaultsremain, have thefirst been mosquebuiltbytheSeljuk truncated minaret, theMenüçer to issaid Camii The rectangular octagonal, buildingwiththetall Menüçer Camii to beaformerstreet linedwithshops. west, you’llgopastan columns runningaroundthestructure. the mainentranceandablindarcadewithslim gular niches, aninscriptioninArmeniannear surrounded byelegantfretwork, trian- several portholewindows,slenderwindows several eye-catching decorative elements,including quite featureless, inspectionreveals butacloser sive columns,fell downcenturiesago. spacious dome,oncesupported byfourmas- 584 ç Kale Walking towardstheMenüçer tothe Camii thebuildinglooks fromadistance, Seen Climbing uptheminaret isforbidden–the NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIANORTHEASTERN ••East ofKars medrese excavated area excavated orpalace. K ı z Kalesi İ ç Kale ona İ ç Kale (the (Maiden’s , supposed , supposed ı is therefore theoldeststructure inAni.Itmight tury andthefirst halfof the4th centuryAD– to have theearly1stcen- builtbetween been the remains of aZoroastriantemple, thought North of theChurch of theHolyApostlesare Zoroastrian Temple (Fire Temple) outer wallsandajumbleof columns. the now alsobadlyruined.Youcanstillsee being finished, andtherest of thebuildingis shortlyafterIts ambitiousdomecollapsed architectplans bythesame asAni’scathedral. Church of StGregory wasbegunin998to thegigantic Northwest fromtheKervansaray, Church ofStGregory (Gagik I) well asvariousArmenianinscriptions. terns made of polychromatic stoneinlays,as dynamically decorated withgeometric pat- intersecting arches inthenave, andceilings portholewindows,diagonally tive carvings, Taking look,you’llnoticedecora- acloser in ruins,butfactit’sfairlywellpreserved. hence itsname. thebuildingasacaravanserai, dome andused addedagateway withafine 1064 theSeljuks 1031, butafter theirconquestof thecityin The Church of theHolyApostlesdates from Apostles) (ChurchKervansaray oftheHoly city’s defensive over- wallsand painstakingly palacebuilt into the ory (Gagik I)isaSeljuk To thenorthwest of theChurch of StGreg- Seljuk Palace the Visitation. one representing theAnnunciation,other Of thethree arcadesleft,twosportbas-reliefs, most of around1840. thesouthwallcollapsed tobealarge11th century.Itused building,but temple, which wasprobablyerected inthe Georgian Church, northof theZoroastrian wallof the You can’tmiss theonlysurviving Georgian Church come acrossthetemple. Church of theHolyApostlesandyoushould about100mduenorthfromtheproceed the HolyApostlesandGeorgian Church – lating steppe. theChurch Theyliebetween of –it’snoteasytospotthemintheundu- height 1.5mincircular columns,notexceeding afterwards. Theonlyremains consistof four have converted been intoaChristianchapel Seen from a distance youcouldthinkit’s fromadistance Seen lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com Come and see for yourself! Come and see most panorama-weary traveller dewy-eyed. thatwillmake setting the even a sensational overrocky bluff abendof the river, itboasts Kalesi snakes intoagorge andleadsupto village of Y shore, continue3.5kmuntilyoureach the church. the eastern shore, hasaneye-catching hilltop Island at ous speciesof birds,best observed breedingalso animportant groundforvari- only forthecomplete peaceandquiet.It’s of Kars isworththedetournonetheless,if loch-like of expanse water about60kmnorth ence. Far Van, thanLake lesstalismanic this Very few suspect touristseven NORTH OFKARS three hours atthesite. want aminimumof 2½hours and preferably sure thatyourdriver understands thatyou time; thedrive takes around50minutes. Make to paythefullfare of €39return pluswaiting there are noothertouristsaround,you’llhave provided there’s aminimumof sixpersons. If Erso site organised byKars orCelil touristoffice tothe minibuses Most peopleoptforthetaxi aproblem. Transport toAnihasalwaysbeen THERE&AWAYGETTING Kilise Nearby isthepartlycrumbled,rock-cut restored sothatitlooksquite outof place. From thetownof by bike/motorbike/horse. toBatumi, orfromanyreaderlove who’smadethistrip tohearabouttheridefromAkhaltsikhe andever-changingand noheadscarves) scenery. trip,withaguaranteedan exhilaratingtwo-day culture shock(read: womenwearingminiskirts aminibustotheTurkishBatumi, getaneyefuloftheBlackSeaandtake borderatSarpi.This is out. The morning,provided next you’ve recovered fromthehangover, youcouldforge westto somegoodGeorgian foranightcommodation and,mostimportantly, winestosluice–perfect the nearest substantialtown.Fromthere, there are busestoBorjomi,where youcanfindac- ataxitoAkhaltsikhe, 16kmride(€12).Crosstheborder(nohassles),thentake border, afurther isolated bordercrossing. Take (€7),thenaskthedriver tocontinuethe aminibusfromKars pumpingfaster thancrossingtheborderatPosof,Turkey’sget yourheart smallestandmost enter thiscountryasvisasare nolongernecessaryformostWestern nations. Fewer thingswill What aboutanicelittleforayintoneighbouring Georgia? It’snowpretty straightforwardto GEORGIA, ANYONE? ğ . This isasuggested route, exploration.Forinstance,we’d butthere’s amplescopeforfurther . (Devil’s Castle). Standing sentinel ona sentinel Standing Castle). (Devil’s lu (see lu (see p577 ), forabout €12perperson, Do ğ ruyol ı ld , theonlysignificanttownon ı r NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN ofKars ••North ı mtepe. Fromthere, apath Ç ı ld ı r , onthenorthern Ç ı ld ı r Gölü Akçekale Akçekale ’s exist- Ş eytan Kaya follows the Armenianfrontier. Thearmy ofa distance 240km. From Tuzlucathe road south fromKars viaDigor,Tuzluca andI To reach Do KARS TODO p577). Erso Celil can alsocontact andacooperativetaxi driver foraday.You a carinKars orinErzurum,tohire a your owntransport.Yourbestbet istorent dazzling sight. precariously perched on aridge –another Keçivan roadleadstothevillageThis secondary of ontheleftforOrtaköy. aturn-off you see and drive tothenorth(towardsKars), until in wetweather. aresome sections very –don’tbrave steep it the D965-04toÇengilliisnottarred, and with Ka off theD965-04(theroadthatconnectsKars aretains unforgettable. Çengilliisabout 20km take atriptotheKurdishvillage of While you’re inKars, youshould definitely when wevisited thearea: ‘Çengilli:fantastic’. This iswhatwescribbledonournotepad SOUTH OFKARS near Ani,buttheviewsover theArasmoun- in manyrespects totheArmenianchurches monastery It ishometoasuperb13th-century places. these These sights are toreach sights difficult These without From Çengilli,backtracktothemainroad You’ll need yourowntransporttoreachYou’ll need , which boastssuperb ruinsof acastle, ğ ı , which jabstheskyline. It’ssimilar zman). Theroadthatleadsupfrom ğ Ğ ubayaz UBAYAZIT ı t andMtArarat, head ğ lu inKars (see Georgian Georgian Çengilli 585 ğ d
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r, . NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA changes cash, includingIranian rials. (Dr eral moneychangers, including alsothe boxed see week; text, p674 ). also helpwithgetting toIran(allowa avisa usuallyspeakEnglish. Theycan queries. Staff Hotel Urartu,willbeable tohelpwithyour www.tamzaratur.com; EmniyetCaddesi; Caddesi; ( agencies, including foot. Fortouristinformation,varioustravel Do Orientation &Information from neighbouring countriesinthestreets. border isamere 35kmaway).You’llfindtraders point fortheoverland Iran (the trailthrough heritage. onitsstrongKurdish town thatpridesitself Kurdishtown. Andyes,it’saquintessentially palace-mosque complex6kmsoutheastof Saray proximity to Do hori zon. hoversest mountain, majestically over the Turkey’ssummit and,incidentally, high- 5137m), aKilimanjaro-esquesnow-capped a fabulousbackdrop. has few charms of with itsownbutisblessed this dustyfrontiertowncrawlingwithsoldiers Lucky Do % DO head toImpa leave fromnearOtel A few toget dailyflights toBaku. by Armenia,andyou’llhave totake oneof the enclave iscutoff fromtherest of Azerbaijan from nearOtel A Azerbaijani consulate inKars). Thebusleaves the bestchoice of accommodation. expectacoupleofnight checkpoints. andifyou’reand smuggling, ontheroadat patrols thearea toprevent borderviolations 586 Sun) to theAzerbaijanienclave of you have (there’s already avisa an obtained 2½ hours, atleastfive provided dailybuses), % If youwanttobreak yourjourney, Most bankshave ATMs. There are alsosev- Do Minibuses forKarsMinibuses (€6,three hours) also From I İ smail Be ğ 0472 /pop36,000elevation1950m , which keeps longer hours and happily Ğ 536-702 8060; www.eastturkey.com; Dr 536-702 8060;www.eastturkey.com; ubayaz UBAYAZIT NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIANORTHEASTERN ••Do ı ğ ), abreathtakingly beautifulfortress- h ubayaz ş 8am-8pm) ğ ğ ikçi Caddesi; d ubayaz ı t issmallandeasilynegotiated on ğ ı r it’spossibletotake abuseast ubayaz ş ı İ t is also the main kicking-off t isalsothemainkicking-off store. shak Pa and ş ı ar, onthemaindrag.This t (doh- h ı t’s appeallaysalsoinits East Turkey Expeditions East Turkey Tamzara 7am-7pm Mon-Sat,7am-noon ş ş Mt Ararat ar; crossthestreet and a Palace ( oo -bay-yah-zuht) – Nakhichevan Nakhichevan
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h the south,andtombinnorthwest Selaml theentrancetoHaremlik,you cansee allowedintothe been refresh wearyvisitors. justinsidethedoor,hereornate fountain to opened tomerchants andguests.Note the into the styles. Ottoman, Georgian, Persian andArmenian architecture isasuperbamalgamof Seljuk, a Kurdish chieftain named Abdi Pa framed byMtArarat. andoverlooking cliffs abutting stark aplain, –it’sperched onasmallplateauits setting Nights town, istheepitomeof the 8.30am-5pm Nov-Mar) Saray andrestoredstalwart One of eastern Turkey’s attractions,the star İ Sights to theright. in the ceremonialtertained hall-courtyard would have greeted been before being en- side. hallwhere Entryisviathestately guests yard toenter the Georgian influence. tion andornate betraying columncapitals stonework, Armenianfloral-relief decora- triangular styles withwallstoppedbySeljuk edly thebeautifuldiningroom,amelange of palace. Theharem’s isundoubt- highlight running-water the systems builtthroughout luxuries of centralheating,sewerage and of therooms,oncepartof theunheard-of palace. You’llnoticechannels inthefloors the of decorated portal themarvellously through the sarcophagi. in thefloraldecorations.Steps leaddownto actite work) andPersian relief styles,evident (note thefaceted stal- carvings mix of Seljuk corner. Thetombisrichly decorated witha SHAK PA bright bright From the second courtyoucanpassFrom thesecond The palace’s Only familyandspecialguestswouldhave The palacewasbegunin1685byÇolak You’ll have toreturn court- tothesecond 9am-11pm) The bestplacetocheck youremailsisthe ı ; admission€3; castle. Part of itsmagicderives from Haremlik ı k, Elit Cafe ş first courtyard a andcompleted in1784byhisson,
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Sanat ve Turizm Festival Turizm Sanat ve AC 12 20 NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN ••Do Tamzara...... (see 8) C2 Nišantaš Dövîz...... C2 Elit Cafe...... C2 East TurkeyExpeditions...... INFORMATION Hamamî Yeni Eski Beyaz Eski ğ ubayaz Hani Camii Aÿrî Cad To MtArarat(5km); Ahmedi Crater (35km); Giant Meteor Iran (35km)
ı Dr Îsmail Bešikçi Cad Bešikçi Îsmail Dr t (Old Beyaz (Devlet Hastanesi) ı Rîfkî BaškayaCad (Culture and t isarelative Hospital B 5 19 3 2 1 8 ı EATING SLEEPING sablPd...... C2 A2 Îstanbul Pide...... Lahmacun&PideSalonu...... C2 Hasankeyf SaklîkentAileKebap Gaziantep Sofrasî...... C2 Îshakpaša Hotel...... B3 Îsfahan Hotel...... B2 Hotel Urartu...... C3 Hotel Tahran...... C3 Hotel Nuh...... B2 Hotel GrandDerya...... C2 Hotel Erzurum...... t), 9
Emniyet Cad ing. Theyoungowner,Metin, canhelpyou shared bathroomswon’thave yousquirm- are shoebox-sized butpresentable, andthe any styleaward,butlookattherates! Rooms s/d withshared bathroom€4/6) for womentravellers. near Notequiet nights. thatthecampinggrounds multitude of skyandquiet, stars inthenight meana locationdoes the outskirts-of-town centre (ontheroadto and restaurant. It’safairoldwalkfromthe hunger beckons,there’s anon-site foodstore nine campsites, which ensures intimacy.If ful placetopitch yourtent. There are only make itapeace- (but noshade tospeakof) well-tended propertyandabundantgreenery andMecitBertil –oneDutch, oneKurd.The cent campsite isrunbytwomalefriends, Lale ZarCamping BUDGET Sleeping hold concertsduringthefestival. ers Ferhat TunçorAynurDo 10 Hotel Erzurum Hotel
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587 NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA pile seems tohavepile seems abrilliantlocation,until Caddesi; s/d€9/14) Salonu Sakl Hasankeyf Eating &Drinking of superbvistas Ararat. affording The winnerhere istherooftop restaurant tial discount(read: 30%),andit’sgoodvalue. your bargaining skillsand negotiate asubstan- prices forneatbutunimpressive rooms. Hone in thetopleagueandcharges megalomaniac A (inagoodway). and attentive staff rooms,goodamenities citing yetserviceable able optionforwomentravellers. Ithasunex- of Turkey! Atleastthismeansit’sacommend- when wedroppedby–arare inthispart sight fully booked byfemale Caddesi; s/d€17/31; make upforit. service ofnow, andthelevel comfortandprofessional But we’re guessing you’ve tothatby gotused to prayeremanatingfromthenearbymosque. at5ambythecall you realise you’llberoused İ beds. and comfortable mundane, itnonethelessoffers sizeablerooms p İ MIDRANGE balconies andwell-sprungmattresses. pinchers, bathrooms,TVs, withsalubrious fresh paint job andwillfitthebill forpenny- entrance –mostroomshave benefited froma subject. Breakfast isextra(€1.50). manager, iswellclueduponthe the affable And ifyouintend tojourneyonIran,Celal, tiles. Therooftop terrace isanotherdrawcard. private bathroomshave hygienicred floor back-friendly bedsandcrispsheets, andthe andcomeequippedwithcheerful enough onthesmallside,roomsareAlthough peaceful outfit,andwecanunderstand why. travellers, parktheirgrungybackpackinthis conscious travellers, includingsolofemale Büyük A is served. organise atrek toMtArarat.Nobreakfast 588 smail Be sfahan Hotel sfahan ğ r Hotel Tahran Hotel Hotel Nuh Hotel Urartu Hotel GrandDerya Hotel ı İ Caddesi;s/d€42/66; shakpa ) Apopularoptionwithtourgroups.Fairly NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIANORTHEASTERN ••Do
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to Ankara(€23,17hours, 1210km). four hours, 285km).There are twodailybuses often you’llhave totravel viaErzurum(€9, destinations; tootherlong-distance services lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright theterms and conditionsonoursiteforalonger wayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake thedates youwishsion andstating toclimb. photocopy andaletter requesting permis- agency andyouhadtoincludeapassport byaTurkishtraveltion hadtobeendorsed at least45daysinadvance,yourapplica- At thetimeof research toapply youneeded tions. Apermitandaguideare mandatory. back onthe trekking map,albeitwithrestric- summitisnowconcerns, butthisfantastic was routinelyrefused of because security For manyyears permissionto climb Ararat CLIMBING MT ARARAT toabout3895m. (Little Ararat)rises whileKüçükA Ararat), is5137mhigh, The left-handpeak,calledBüyükA restingthe supposed placeof Noah’sArk. legends as sincetimebegan,mostnotably the twinpeaksof Mt Ararat have figured in of anytriptoeasternA highlight Turkey, Mt Ararat(A Hot Springs,51kmwestof Do cover sites plusavisittotheDiyadin thesame to €45,dependingonthenumberof people) ofat thebase MtArarat.Full-daytours (€20 probably ageological aberration)andavillage boat), theover-rated ‘Meteor Crater’ (most Pa tours (about€20perperson) take in excursion aroundthetown.Half-day tosights Do The travel agencies andmosthotels in AROUND DO shape in stone that is supposed tobeNoah’s shape instonethatissupposed ş Go to the main otogar (bus station) for Go tothemainotogar(busstation) ğ a Palace, ‘Noah’sArk’(anelongated oval ubayaz ı t canhelpyouorganise adaily ğ Ğ r NORTHEASTERN ANATOLIA NORTHEASTERN ••AroundDo UBAYAZIT ı Da ğ ı ) ğ ubayaz ğ r ı (Great ı İ t. shak ğ r ı
person. a localagent. topayaround€150per Expect from thelocal ficial hoohah, permission butyoustillneed you won’thave somuch of- togothrough Providedmountain. under2500m youstay one at4200m. The first campsite isat3200m,andasecond fromthevillageroute starting of Çevirme. the foothills,atabout 2500m.There’s another ing from Eliköyü, anabandonedvillage in of summer. intheheight using cramponspast4800meven withsnow-climbingtechniquescomfortable must comewellprepared. tobe You’llneed ing are butyou July,AugustandSeptember, ning landscapes.Thebestmonths forclimb- rewarded withstupendousviewsandstun- experience.Ararat isafantastic You’llbe (a bitless ifyou’re agroup). guides, campingandfood)fromDo person forthetrek (three days,including upatleast€350per expecttocough you use, in future. Hopefully thingsshouldbecomemore relaxed ofatingly slow-turningwheels bureaucracy. dure, ifyouhave even toendure theexcruci- It’s much safer tofollowtheofficialproce- youupAraratunofficially. would betaking thepermitbutinrealitythink they’dobtained whereby theytake yourpassportandletyou some briberyinvolved worse, ascam, or,even them.There’sdays. Don’tbelieve probably claim theycanget thepermitinacoupleof in Turkey. anyreputableYou canapplythrough agency You canalsododailytreks aroundthe Despite theextortionate fare, climbing The badnewsistheprice. Whatever agency inDo guidesandhotel staff Several The usualroute isthesouthernone,start- jandarma © LonelyPlanetPublications –it’sbesttogowith ğ ubayaz ğ ğ ubayaz ı ubayaz t 589
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